Amy Thomas looks at the life and work of the late Marlene Aig, female Holmesian pioneer.

"Ever since I jumped into the Sherlock Holmes scene with both feet a few years ago, I’ve been conscious of the issues of gender and feminism that underlie the current surging interest in the detective. One of the first things I learned, one that amazed me, was that the Baker Street Irregulars, respected international Holmes organization, did not admit women until the year 1991. I also learned that in past years, women who wanted to be active in the world of Sherlock Holmes fandom (for it is a fandom, make no mistake), did not always have the easiest time of it. Even today, the issues of sex and gender are a complicated and sometimes unpleasant aspect of being in the Holmesian world. And yet, this post is not meant to be in the least bleak, because, well, you can’t keep, as they say, good women down. In the late 1960s, a group of enterprising ladies formed an organization called the Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes, and it’s still going strong. I respect these women extremely highly, and one of the early trailblazers among feminine Sherlockians is the subject of this post: Marlene Aig… As a Holmesian and as a woman, I’m delighted to say that a piece of Marlene’s legacy has been left behind for us to enjoy. Many years ago, she penned a Sherlockian pastiche–a novella starring Sherlock Holmes that is titled Sherlock Holmes and the Lufton Lady…” Read the full blog post here. Sherlock Holmes and The Lufton Lady is available from all good bookstores including  Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Waterstones UK, and for free shipping worldwide Book Depository . In ebook format it is in Amazon Kindle,  Kobo, Nook and Apple iBooks(iPad/iPhone).